Found
by Phoenixfyretail
Summary: When Vincent finds his long lost team member, will she reveal to be more than that? AU, VinxCid, TsengxAerith, and lots of fluff.
1. Chapter 1

Authors Note:

Hey! So...umm... Major OC usage in this one. I've been working on her for a long time. Very long time. Hehe! Enjoy! ~~

I looked about the campsite, very wearily. I knew Vincent, as well as Sephiroth, and I trusted them both. However, it was the others, the new faces, that concerned me. I didn't know anyone else on sight, and it made me very nervous, and I tensed, ready to flee at any given time. However, Vincent beckoned to come forward, and I did, very slowly. "Everyone, this is Storm. I've been looking for her for years." Everyone there perked up in interest as I came forward. Cid's jaw fell open, Tifa gasped, Aeris looked shocked, as did Tseng, Zack and Cloud's jaws dropped, and Sephiroth raised a curious eyebrow.

"Storm?" They all asked, and it finally clicked in my head as to who they all were, after getting past the haunting memories of the last five years. I nodded, managing to smile slightly. I knew it probably looked more like a grimace. I had changed a lot, and I knew it. My silver hair, like Sephiroth's, had once been shining waves of silk. It was now dirt and blood matted, hanging down to my calves. I was covered with dirt, scars, and blood, my clothes shredded rags.

Vincent slowly approached me, holding out a hesitant hand, waiting for my permission to come near. I touched his hand, and he smiled. He held my hand gently, and said quietly, "I told you we would never forget you. Now, let's get you cleaned up and fed." I nodded, slowly. "Alright." I watched as Sephiroth stood with ethereal grace, silver hair swishing around his form. He came slowly to me, using the same approach Vincent had taken. I let him touch my face, my eyes closing in cautious pleasure at the first gentle contact in years. His leather gloved palm cupped my sliced cheek, cradling my face, and his fingers played in my tangled and dirty hair. I opened my eyes and looked at him. What was he doing?

I sensed the fear and mingling curiosity and pleasure radiating from her, along with the amazement coming from the crowd behind me, and I waved them irritatedly away behind my back. They were frightening her. They walked off, pretending casual. I sensed her red eyes looking so very similar to Vincent's, the way they had been when we first found him, gazing into my face, looking for an explanation. I smiled softly at her. "I shall help you with your hair. You will need it." She smiled. It seems she appreciated what I was offering. She knew I just wanted to help her feel herself again. By offering a materialistic thing, such as assistance with hair, I was helping to soothe her soul with gentle contact. Perfect. I dropped my hand slowly, and turned to find some things I would need to help her.

I stood there, arms around myself, watching everyone move about. Aeris came forward with clothes, Tifa with a towel, comb, and soap, and Cid came forward with a pair of boots and gloves. I glanced at the black leather gloves. They had to either be Sephiroth's or Vincent's. No surprise there. I smiled, and nodded my thanks. Tifa smiled. "It's good to see you again." Aeris smiled sweetly, and Cid grinned his typical grin, and they walked away. I turned to the silent presence I had sensed behind me for the past 5 minutes. Sephiroth directed me quietly in the direction of a hot spring, and I moved away from the camp to the forest. 10 minutes later, I reached the spring.

It was a medium sized pool, circled around by unevenly sized, but smooth, stones. There was a large rock jutting out of the center of the pool, and there was clouds of steam swirling off the surface. It was lit by several small paper lamps hanging on branches of the trees overhanging the water, casting the pool in a soft glow. There was also a small waterfall, about 4 feet in height, and making a small splashing undertone all around. I smiled softly at the sight. Sephiroth. Of course he would have. I set my towel and things down on a rock and looked around wearily. There was nothing there. I sighed, and pulled off the remains of my clothes. Then I slipped into the hot water.

I came though the forest, pushing a leafy branch out of my way, to come into a pool of light cast by the lamps around the spring. And I stopped dead at the sight presented to me. Her form, her body, was completely mutilated. Her back, what I saw of it before she slipped into the water, was open wounds, scars, and more wounds. Many of which appeared to be incisions, but also whip lashes. A set of scars very similar to Vincent's. Hojo's work. I gritted my teeth in anger, but calmed. I needed to help Storm through the turmoil she was in first.

I slipped into the water, and immediately hissed and clenched my jaw in agony. Oh dear lord, that HURT. I ignored it, and swam over to the waterfall, the pain now receding from the mineral content in the water. I found a stone to stand on by the fall, and stood up, now being only waist deep in the water. I ran my hands through the fall, and moved forward a bit, so my hands and forearms directed the water to cascade over my front. I winced, and tossed my head back, it hurt. But I knew it would clean my wounds and erase any infection, and I endured it. After a few moments, it no longer was painful, and I could feel my wounds beginning to close, due to my advanced regeneration abilities. I turned around, and, after shifting tangled hair out of the way, did the same for my back.

I heard the splash of another body being lowered into the water, and immediately sensed Sephiroth. I turned around again, and my hair shifted down my back. I heard the gentle sounds of water around his swimming figure, and then the dripping water droplets from a form behind me. "May I?" He asked, hands hesitating before touching me. I nodded, inclining my head to his touch. He ran his now bare hands through what he could of my tangled tresses, and I heard him breathe through his nose slightly more heavily before saying, "Do you mind if I repair this? I will need to cut it." I smiled at his politeness, and responded. "Do what you need to Sephiroth."

I stroked my hand my hands as far as I could through her tangled hair and then reached back to retrieve the knife that I had set on the rock behind me. I unsheathed it, and began to slice long lengths of dreadlocked hair off, and tossed them onto shore. I would get rid of it later. My eyebrows furrowed in concentration, and I tried to not make a mistake. Once I had removed the most length I needed to, I added a bit of style, cutting the bottom ends into a triangle shape, and adding layers. I stroked my fingers through it, and asked, "Storm? May I attend to the front?"

I nodded, and crossed my arms over my breasts, slowly turning around. I glanced at him, and my eyes boggled. He was shirtless, and was also dripping wet, water trailing down the curves and dips of the definition of his torso. He was wearing a pair of black boxers, nothing more. I glanced up at his face, and blushed to see him smirking at me. I watched as he then focused upon my face and hair, trying to figure out how to make it look right. I furrowed my eyebrows and adjusted my arms over my chest, and reached one hand out to play with the strands in his bangs. He glanced down at my hand in surprise, and back at me. "Can you make my bangs look like yours?" I asked, not looking at him. He nodded.

I crossed my arms back over my chest, and closed my eyes. I felt the knife flicker around my neck, and felt my hair fall onto my arms, and become lighter around my face. "Open your eyes." He whispered, and I did. He stroked his fingers down my collarbone length bangs, and smiled, satisfied. I turned around again at his signal, and I heard a shampoo bottle pop open. I raised an eyebrow, but quickly relaxed when his hands massaged the shampoo through my hair, massaging my scalp and temples as well. He ordered me to rinse thoroughly, and I did, stepping back under the waterfall while he politely turned away so I could use both hands to rinse shampoo out, and I moved back to him so he could condition it.

After I finished the final touches with her hair, I stepped back and admired my handiwork. Storm's hair had been transformed. The silky locks were a dark silver, but shining in the dim light, the ends neatly trimmed and layered to lay between her shoulder blades. Her bangs, twin bangs, like mine, framed her face, ending just before her collarbones. Perfect. Beautiful again, except for... "Storm? I must ask. Who wounded you so badly?"

I heard him ask the dreaded question, and to my surprise, I didn't know how to begin. I thought for a few moments, then I just took the Highwind approach. Straight to the point. "Hojo is the cause of those. He's quite sadistic, and seemed to enjoy implanting various demons into my body and messing with my genetic makeup. Particularly with my senses and abilities as well." I looked down at my crossed arms over my chest. Behind me, I could sense that Sephiroth had frozen in... Anger? Fury? Despair? I didn't know.

Then his hands ran gently down my back, tracing around scars and wounds, his slim fingers barely brushing my skin. I let him, and when he shifted my hair out of the way, he made a small noise of shock. I knew what he was looking at. The two, massive, thick, roping scars about 8 inches long right along where my shoulder blades were. "What...are these?" I shook my head, and he sighed. "I suppose that these are some sick experiment that Hojo performed on you?" I nodded. "By the way...Hojo was killed. I killed him. And destroyed Jenova. And found my files. I hid them in a tree, I'll show you where someday." I turned around to face him then, and dropped off my stone that I had been standing on. He did the same.

"Thank you Storm." I breathed, running one last hand through her hair. She smiled slightly. "No, thank you." She bowed slightly in gratitude. "I'll leave you to finish bathing. I'll see you at camp when you return." She nodded, and I turned and left, grabbing her cut hair, the knife, and hair care bottles as I went. I moved to my clothes, after getting out of the pool, and ducked behind a tree to dry off and change quickly. I left swiftly after, shaking out my hair as I went back to camp.

I turned to my soap and wash rag on the stone by the pool, and washed up quickly, careful around the edges of wounds. I rinsed the rag, wrung it out, wrapped the soap in it, and left the pool, much cleaner than I was before. I dried off with my towel, running it through my now much shorter, and cleaner, silver hair. I turned to my clothes and pulled on the slim fitting tank top in replacement for a bra, and a pair of clean black boxers, and a pair of black jeans. I guessed that most of these were either Vincent's or Aeris's. Next came on a leather shirt and gloves that were obviously Vincent's and Sephiroth's, and the black boots and socks. Now dressed, and feeling better than I had in the past five years, I grabbed the rest of my things, and ran back to camp, dancing between the trees. Upon arriving at camp, Aeris took my towel, soap, and old clothes, and she tossed the old clothes in the fire. The towel and rag went over a clothesline, and the soap in a container.

I pulled my comb from the pocket in my jeans, and flicked it through my hair, only encountering a few knots. Being me, and not really knowing everyone around the fire, I sat away from everyone else, and slipped the comb back in my pocket. Vincent turned around and patted a space between him and Sephiroth, with Cid on his other side. I cautiously moved forward, and sat on the rock indicated for me. Vincent promptly handed me a plate of real food, and, not really caring that I didn't bother to see what it was, I ate it. It was really good, some kind of spicy tomato chicken dish. Delicious. I ate it all, and drank a huge amount of water, tossing the paper plate in the fire, and the fork in the dish bin behind me, without looking at what I was doing. Cid heard the clatter, and glanced back, then at me, with huge blue eyes. "Nice shot." He said, impressed.

"You should see what she can do with a knife. Or better yet, a gun." Said Vincent, sounding slightly smug. Cid playfully punched him, and laughed. "I know. I've heard the stories about yer aim." I nodded, and turned to Sephiroth. Zack all of a sudden exclaimed, "What the..? You three all look alike!" He indicated Sephiroth, Vincent and I. I glanced at the two of them, and discovered they did look alike. "I see. You seem correct." Everyone was now intently staring at us, and amongst various whispers, I heard...

"...they have the same eye shape, but Vincent and Storm both have the same color eyes..."

"Silver hair...how many have silver hair like that?"

"The cow licks! They are the same!"

"Are you three, by any chance, related?" Tifa asked, very shyly and quietly, yet very curiously. Sephiroth and Vincent looked to me, and I sighed quietly. "...yes. We are." Everyone, including Vincent and Sephiroth, gasped in some way or another, in surprise. They all turned to stare at me, eyes begging for an explanation, even Sephiroth and Vincent, in a rare display of curiosity. I sighed, and stood, flicking a lock of hair behind my ear while I tried to think of how to begin. I closed my eyes, and opened them abruptly after a few moments, and began to explain our story.

"As you all know, and if you didn't, now you will, Vincent was held in Hojo's lab for many years as a test subject. It wasn't a scientific test subject though. He was brutally tortured, extensively modified, and genetics messed with. He's almost a whole different person in body, but in mind, he's still Vincent Valentine. Sephiroth was modified in the same way.

Before all that though, Vincent had someone he took fancy to. Her name; Lucrecia Crescent. Just before Vincent was shot, he had fathered a child. Her child." I looked pointedly at Sephiroth. His eyes widened slightly. I walked around the fire, and continued to move slowly, all the while saying, "About 18 years ago now, according to my files that I read, Cidney Highwind was captured, and cell samples were taken, seeing as he was a prime male specimen. At the time, Vincent's cell samples were still usable. And due to one of the experiments they performed on him, he has the ability to bear children, the same way a woman can." I looked to Vincent, and saw that he was nodding sadly. It seemed he knew. And then his eyes grew huge in guessing what came next, and seconds later, Cid's did as well. They both looked at each other in awe.

"So you are...?" Cid asked. I nodded. "In a experiment that they thought would be utterly amusing, they incubated the result of combining Vincent's female reproductive cells with Cid's. I was born from that, and was incubated via a machine, similar to the one used to incubate chicken eggs, except it mimicked the function of a uterus." I paused for air, and not sure how to explain my experimentation. I glanced around. Everyone was looking from Cid, Sephiroth, and Vincent, to me. I nodded. Sephiroth looked to me. "That doesn't explain the complete state of mutilation your body is currently in." He met my eyes with his piercing green, cat like eyes. I raised my hand, running my fingertips over the now pink mark where my cheek had been sliced open.

Everyone looked to me for an answer. I hung my head slightly. "No..." Breathed Vincent, understanding dawning in his eyes. I just barely inclined my head. "Genetics messed with, senses boosted, abilities implanted. And these." I unbuttoned my shirt, and pulled it off, now just in a tank top. Everyone saw the extensive wounds on my revealed skin, and looked away. I couldn't blame them, it was a sorry sight. All scars and healing wounds. I shook my head and focused for a second, and...

"Ohh! Beautiful..." Breathed Aeris. The only experiment I actually liked, my beautiful- silver, gray, and black,- wings. Folded up behind me, the top joints were a food two feet above my head, and the bottom lead feathers were 3 inches above the ground. She stood, and came forward, and I let her touch the feathers, one long feather as wide across as her palm. She smiled. "You are beautiful." She smiled at me, her long braid swishing behind her. "See? You are like us. You're part of the family, and you have blood family." My eyes widened. And I smiled at her, a real smile. The first real smile in 5 years. And almost unanimously, everyone stood, and gave me a hug.

First Aeris, Tseng, Zack and Cloud gave me hugs, and they turned to Sephiroth, Vincent, and Cid. Cid came forward first, pulling me to him, and holding me tightly. I buried my face into his warm shirt, and breathed in his warm, musky, and Cid like scent. Cigarettes, engines, and something distinctly male. I hugged him back, and when he pulled back, he cupped my cheeks in his rough palms, pressing a kiss to my forehead for a couple seconds, his stubble on his chin tickling my forehead. My eyes widened, and teared up slightly, he had accepted me. He pulled back, and before he turned away quickly, I saw the tear falling down his cheek. I smiled, still blushing from pleasure at his fatherly attention.

Vincent came forward, and he embraced me as well, and when he pulled back, he pressed something into my palm. "It was the only thing I could find, the only thing that told me you were still alive." I looked at the object in my palm. And my eyes grew huge. "I was wondering where that went." I smiled up at him. "Thank you." In my palm was a small, round, crystal like stone about the size of a walnut. Within the stone was a swirling mass of silvery liquid, and it looked a bit like a galaxy. It was my favorite method of communication with everyone, as I could project where I was to them through that stone by focusing what I wanted to say through it. Whoever I sent it to could hear it in their mind. It came in handy sometimes. I pressed the stone to my chest, just above my left breast, and in vanished into my chest, settling into its old place once again.

Vincent smiled, and walked back as Sephiroth came forward. He, like the others, embraced me closely, and then stepped back, and pulled something from his pocket. He shifted my hair over my shoulder, and fastened a necklace around my neck. I looked down at the pendant, and I raised an eyebrow. It was a stylized silver feather, swirling about a sword. "I thought it appropriate. Welcome to the family sister." He patted my head, and walked away. "Thank you." I whispered. I clasped the necklace in a gloved hand and turned to everyone, reducing my wings and pulling my shirt back on. We all gradually sat down around the fire again, just staring into the flames in companionable silence.

"Shall we have some music?" Asked Cid, grinning his usual confident and badass grin. Everyone stared in surprise, and then all gradually smiled, and said, "Sure!" Cid stood up and walked away, waving me to come with him. I stood quickly and walked after him, curious as to what he was up to. He led me to his tent, and he disappeared inside and walked out a few seconds later, a guitar case over his shoulder. "Do ya know anythin' good?" He asked, as we walked back. "I know a few things, from the radio they let me play in my chambers." I replied, jumping over a root as to not trip on it. He grinned.

We all sat around the fire, Cid tuning his guitar, Aeris and Zack humming to warm their voices up, and everyone chatting with someone or laughing happily. It seems music was really a good thing for everyone. Then Cid strummed his guitar, the strings finally in tune. "Well, what'll we sing first?" He asked, lightly plucking a few chords absent mindedly. "Follow me!" Said Zack, and Cid smiled. He began the beginning chords of the song, and I began to tap foot along with it, and Zack and Aeris managed to turn the song into a duet, which they finished fabulously. I clapped along with everyone else, while Zack made an over dramatized bow.

Cid sang a lovely solo, "Iris", originally by the Goo Goo dolls, and I smiled as he looked right at me as he sang the last chorus. It was almost as if he were singing it for me. And does he ever have a lovely voice. Such a lovely tenor, with a twist of bass and huskiness to it. After that was finished, to which he stood and bowed, and I applauded with everyone else. He turned to me. "Do ya wanna sing?" He asked, having seated himself again. I thought, and hesitated, never having sang for a crowd before. "You should." Sephiroth whispered, "I think you would do great." I blushed slightly, but didn't agree yet. Cid seemed to be holding his breath in hope. I decided that I couldn't resist.

"Do you know Hallelujah?" I asked quietly, with a collective gasp from everyone else. No else, it seemed, expected me to do it. Cid smiled again, "Sure as hell do." And he played the beginning chords. At my cue, I began. Sephiroth's eyes widened.

"I've heard there was a secret chord

That David played, and it pleased the Lord

But you don't really care for music, do you?

It goes like this

The fourth, the fifth

The minor fall, the major lift

The baffled king composing Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah."

I almost stopped playing from shock. She could SING. Her voice carried effortlessly, and was a beautiful mix of alto and soprano, and had a texture like smoke. Slightly husky for a female, but perfect. Wow.

Your faith was strong but you needed proof

You saw her bathing on the roof

Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew you

She tied you to a kitchen chair

She broke your throne, and she cut your hair

And from your lips she drew the Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah

Maybe I have been here before

I know this room, I've walked this floor

I used to live alone before I knew you

I've seen your flag on the marble arch

Love is not a victory march

It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah

I watched her as she sang, and she gave me a signal that she wanted me to sing with her. I nodded, and at the next verse, I sang with her. She smiled slightly, pleased at being able to sing with her father.

There was a time you let me know

What's real and going on below

But now you never show it to me, do you?

And remember when I moved in you?

The holy dark was moving too

And every breath we drew was Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah

Maybe there's a god above

And all I ever learned from love

Was how to shoot at someone who outdrew you

And it's not a cry you can hear at night,

It's not somebody who's seen the light

It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah

We received the loudest round of applause of the night, with lots of hoots and hollers of approval. I stood and took a bow, as did Cid, and he walked off, slipping his guitar off as he did so. While he was putting that away, I watched people chat with each other, and eventually, they began yawning. Zack was the first. He stood, yawned, and stretched. "Welp, I'm off to bed. See you guys tomorrow!" He smiled, and walked off to his tent. Cloud and Tifa went next, Cloud dropping a hand on my shoulder. And pretty soon, it was just me and Sephiroth. "Shall we go to sleep soon?" He asked, absentmindedly poking the fire with a stick.

"Yes. But ah...where am I sleeping?" I asked, looking to him out of the corner of my eye. "With me, in my tent. It's large enough, and I certainly don't mind." I nodded. "All right. Thank you." I stood with him, and, before he could, I cast a quick water spell on the fire, extinguishing it. He glanced at me, then turned and led the way to his tent.

I laid down, exhausted, on the large pad he slept on, and threw the blanket he gave me over my hips. I had removed my shirt again, leaving me in the tank top, and had my wings out and folded loosely behind me. I was facing Sephiroth, but we were a good foot and a half apart. He all of a sudden looked at me very intensely. "What is your real name Storm?" I blinked, mildly surprised. Then I sighed, and said, "Valencia Sakirya Storm Highwind Valentine." He blinked, and raised his eyebrows, and said nothing for a while.

"Then why aren't you called Valencia?" He asked. I shrugged. "It sounds too formal to be called that everyday." He smiled, and cracked open an eye to look at me. "Good night Storm." I nodded and murmured, "Good night Sephiroth." He curled up comfortably and fell asleep after a while, and I did as well. It was best nights sleep I've had in a while.

I woke up slowly, and realized that something had definitely changed over night. I was very warm, and there was someone cuddled up close to me, breath puffing gently on my chest. I cracked open an eye, and then both eyes flew open in shock at the sight. Sephiroth was cuddled into me, his face resting comfortably on my breasts, arm flung over my hip with his hand on my wing. My arm was over his broad chest, hand tangled in his silver hair. I sighed gently, and curled around him some more. It was still early anyway, and I was comfortable.


	2. Genderbent Storm!

Found-

For those who have read this story previously, this is what would happen if Storm were male. The character does have to versions. Enjoy!

I looked about the campsite, very wearily. I knew Vincent, as well as Sephiroth, and I trusted them both. However, it was the others, the new faces, that concerned me. I didn't know anyone else on sight, and it made me very nervous, and I tensed, ready to flee at any given time. However, Vincent beckoned to come forward, and I did, very slowly.

"Everyone, this is Storm. I've been looking for him for years."

Everyone there perked up in interest as I came forward. Cid's jaw fell open, Tifa gasped, Aeris looked shocked, as did Tseng, Zack and Cloud's jaws dropped, and Sephiroth raised a curious eyebrow.

"Storm?"

They all asked, and it finally clicked in my head as to who they all were, after getting past the haunting memories of the last five years. I nodded, managing to smile slightly. I knew it probably looked more like a grimace. I had changed a lot, and I knew it. My silver hair, like Sephiroth's, had once been shining waves of silk. It was now dirt and blood matted, hanging down to my calves. I was covered with dirt, scars, and blood, my clothes shredded rags.

Vincent slowly approached me, holding out a hesitant hand, waiting for my permission to come near. I touched his hand, and he smiled. He held my hand gently, and I squeezed his hand slightly.

"I told you we would never forget you. Now, let's get you cleaned up and fed." He said quietly.

I nodded, slowly. "Alright."

I watched as Sephiroth stood with ethereal grace, silver hair swishing around his form. He came slowly to me, using the same approach Vincent had taken. I let him touch my face, my eyes closing in cautious pleasure at the first gentle contact in years. His leather gloved palm cupped my sliced cheek, cradling my face, and his fingers played in my tangled and dirty hair. I opened my eyes and looked at him. What was he doing?

I sensed the fear and mingling curiosity and pleasure radiating from him, along with the amazement coming from the crowd behind me, and I waved them irritatedly away behind my back. They were frightening walked off, pretending casual. I sensed his red eyes looking so very similar to Vincent's, the way they had been when we first found him, gazing into my face, looking for an explanation. I smiled softly at him.

"I shall help you with your hair. You will need it."

He smiled. It seems he appreciated what I was offering. He knew I just wanted to help him feel himself again. By offering a materialistic thing, such as assistance with hair, I was helping to soothe his soul with gentle contact. Perfect. I dropped my hand slowly, and turned to find some things I would need to help him.

I stood there, arms around myself, watching everyone move about. Aeris came forward with clothes, Tifa with a towel, comb, and soap, and Cid came forward with a pair of boots and gloves. I glanced at the black leather and raised an eyebrow. They had to either be Sephiroth's or Vincent's. No surprise there. I smiled, and nodded my thanks. Tifa smiled.

"It's good to see you again."

Aeris smiled sweetly, and Cid grinned his typical grin, and they walked away. I turned to the silent presence I had sensed behind me for the past 5 minutes. Sephiroth directed me quietly in the direction of a hot spring, and I moved away from the camp to the forest. 10 minutes later, I reached the spring.

It was a medium sized pool, circled around by unevenly sized, but smooth, stones. There was a large rock jutting out of the center of the pool, and there was clouds of steam swirling off the surface. It was lit by several small paper lamps hanging on branches of the trees overhanging the water, casting the pool in a soft glow. There was also a small waterfall, about 4 feet in height, and making a small splashing undertone all around. I smiled softly at the sight. Sephiroth. Of course he would have. I set my towel and things down on a rock and looked around wearily. There was nothing there. I sighed, and pulled off the remains of my clothes. Then I slipped into the hot water.

I came though the forest, pushing a leafy branch out of my way, to come into a pool of light cast by the lamps around the spring. And I stopped dead at the sight presented to me. His form, his body, was completely mutilated. His back, what I saw of it before he slipped into the water, was open wounds, scars, and more wounds. Many of which appeared to be incisions, but also whip lashes. A set of scars very similar to Vincent's. Hojo's work. I gritted my teeth in anger, but calmed. I needed to help Storm through the turmoil he was in first.

I slipped into the water, and immediately hissed and clenched my jaw in agony. Oh dear lord, that HURT. I ignored it, and swam over to the waterfall, the pain now receding from the mineral content in the water. I found a stone to stand on by the fall, and stood up, now being only waist deep in the water. I ran my hands through the fall, and moved forward a bit, so my hands and forearms directed the water to cascade over my front. I winced, and tossed my head back, it hurt. But I knew it would clean my wounds and erase any infection, and I endured it. After a few moments, it no longer was painful, and I could feel my wounds beginning to close, due to my advanced regeneration abilities. I turned around, and, after shifting tangled hair out of the way, did the same for my back.

I heard the splash of another body being lowered into the water, and immediately sensed Sephiroth. I turned around again, and my hair shifted down my back. I heard the gentle sounds of water around his swimming figure, and then the dripping water droplets from a form behind me.

"May I?" He asked, hands hesitating before touching me. I nodded, inclining my head to his touch. He ran his now bare hands through what he could of my tangled tresses, and I heard him breathe through his nose slightly more heavily before saying,

"Do you mind if I repair this? I will need to cut it." I smiled at his politeness, and responded.

"Do what you need to Sephiroth."

I stroked my hand my hands as far as I could through his tangled hair and then reached back to retrieve the knife that I had set on the rock behind me. I unsheathed it, and began to slice long lengths of dreadlocked hair off, and tossed them onto shore. I would get rid of it later. My eyebrows furrowed in concentration, and I managed to cut it evenly, much to my satisfaction. Once I had removed the most length I needed to, I added a bit of style, cutting the bottom ends into a triangle shape, and adding layers. I stroked my fingers through it, and hummed softly.

"Storm? May I attend to the front?" I asked, voice rumbling low.

I nodded, and after breathing out deeply, I slowly turned around. I glanced at him, and my eyes boggled. He was shirtless, and was also dripping wet, water trailing down the curves and dips of the definition of his torso. He was wearing a pair of black boxers, nothing more. I glanced up at his face, and blushed to see him smirking at me. I watched as he then focused upon my face and hair, trying to figure out how to make it look right. I furrowed my eyebrows and adjusted my stance a bit, and reached one hand out to play with the strands in his bangs. He glanced down at my hand in surprise, and back at me.

"Can you make my bangs look like yours?"

I asked, not looking at him. He nodded. I crossed my arms back over my chest, and closed my eyes. I felt the knife flicker around my neck, and felt my hair fall onto my arms, and become lighter around my face. "Open your eyes." He whispered, and I did. He stroked his fingers down my collarbone length bangs, and smiled, satisfied. I turned around again at his signal, and I heard a shampoo bottle pop open. I raised an eyebrow, but quickly relaxed when his hands massaged the shampoo through my hair, massaging my scalp and temples as well. He ordered me to rinse thoroughly, and I did, stepping back under the waterfall while he turned away to re-sheathe the knife. I finished rinsing the shampoo, and he did the same for conditioner, and smirked, satisfied.

After I finished the final touches with his hair, I stepped back and admired my handiwork. Storm's hair had been transformed. The silky locks were a dark silver, but shining in the dim light, the ends neatly trimmed and layered to lay between his shoulder blades. His bangs, twin bangs, like mine, framed his face, ending just before his collarbones. Perfect. Damn sexy again, except for...

"Storm? I must ask. Who wounded you so badly?"

I heard him ask the dreaded question, and to my surprise, I didn't know how to begin. I thought for a few moments, then I just took the Highwind approach. Straight to the point.

"Hojo is the cause of those. He's quite sadistic, and seemed to enjoy implanting various demons into my body and messing with my genetic makeup. Particularly with my senses and abilities as well."

I looked down at my crossed arms over my chest. Behind me, I could sense that Sephiroth had frozen in... Anger? Fury? Despair? I didn't know. Then his hands ran gently down my back, tracing around scars and wounds, his slim fingers barely brushing my skin. I let him, and when he shifted my hair out of the way, he made a small noise of shock. I knew what he was looking at. The two, massive, thick, roping scars about 8 inches long right along where my shoulder blades were.

"What...are these?"

I shook my head, and he sighed.

"I suppose that these are some sick experiment that Hojo performed on you?"

I nodded.

"By the way...Hojo was killed. I killed him. And destroyed Jenova. And found my files. I hid them in a tree, I'll show you where someday."

I turned around to face him then, and dropped off my stone that I had been standing on. He did the same.

"Thank you Storm." I breathed, running one last hand through his hair. He smiled slightly.

"No, thank you." He bowed slightly in gratitude.

"I'll leave you to finish bathing. I'll see you at camp when you return."

He nodded, and I turned and left, grabbing his cut hair, the knife, and hair care bottles as I went. I moved to my clothes, after getting out of the pool, and ducked behind a tree to dry off and change quickly. I left swiftly after, shaking out my hair as I went back to camp.

I turned to my soap and wash rag on the stone by the pool, and washed up quickly, careful around the edges of wounds. I rinsed the rag, wrung it out, wrapped the soap in it, and left the pool, much cleaner than I was before. I dried off with my towel, running it through my now much shorter, and cleaner, silver hair.

I turned to my clothes and pulled a pair of clean black boxers, and a pair of black jeans. I guessed that most of these were either Vincent's or Sephiroth's. Next came on a leather shirt and gloves that were obviously Vincent's, and the black boots and socks. Now dressed, and feeling better than I had in the past five years, I grabbed the rest of my things, and ran back to camp, dancing between the trees. Upon arriving at camp, Aeris took my towel, soap, and old clothes, and she tossed the old clothes in the fire. The towel and rag went over a clothesline, and the soap in a container.

I pulled my comb from the pocket in my jeans, and flicked it through my hair, only encountering a few knots. Being me, and not really knowing everyone around the fire, I sat away from everyone else, and slipped the comb back in my pocket. Vincent turned around and patted a space between him and Sephiroth, with Cid on his other side. I cautiously moved forward, and sat on the rock indicated for me. Vincent promptly handed me a plate of real food, and, not really caring that I didn't bother to see what it was, I ate it. It was really good, some kind of spicy tomato chicken dish. Delicious. I ate it all, and drank a huge amount of water, tossing the paper plate in the fire, and the fork in the dish bin behind me, without looking at what I was doing. Cid heard the clatter, and glanced back, then at me, with huge blue eyes.

"Nice shot." He said, impressed.

"You should see what he can do with a knife. Or better yet, a gun." Said Vincent, sounding slightly smug. Cid playfully punched him, and laughed.

"I know. I've heard the stories about yer aim."

I nodded, and turned to Sephiroth.

"What the..? You three all look alike!" Said Zack, across the fire from us.

He indicated Sephiroth, Vincent and I. I glanced at the two of them, and discovered they did look alike.

"I see. You seem correct." Everyone was now intently staring at us, and amongst various whispers, I heard...

"...they have the same eye shape, but Vincent and Storm both have the same color eyes..."

"Silver hair...how many have silver hair like that?"

"The cow licks! They are the same!"

"Are you three, by any chance, related?" Tifa asked, very shyly and quietly, yet very curiously. Sephiroth and Vincent looked to me, and I sighed quietly.

"...yes. We are."

Everyone, including Vincent and Sephiroth, gasped in some way or another, in surprise. They all turned to stare at me, eyes begging for an explanation, even Sephiroth and Vincent, in a rare display of curiosity. I sighed, and stood, flicking a lock of hair behind my ear while I tried to think of how to begin. I closed my eyes, and opened them abruptly after a few moments, and began to explain our story.

"As you all know, and if you didn't, now you will, Vincent was held in Hojo's lab for many years as a test subject. It wasn't a scientific test subject though. He was brutally tortured, extensively modified, and genetics messed with. He's almost a whole different person in body, but in mind, he's still Vincent Valentine. Sephiroth was modified in the same way.

Before all that though, Vincent had someone he took fancy to. Her name; Lucrecia Crescent. Just before Vincent was shot, he had fathered a child. Her child."

I looked pointedly at Sephiroth. His eyes widened slightly. I walked around the fire, and continued to move slowly, all the while saying,

"About 18 years ago now, according to my files that I read, Cidney Highwind was captured, and cell samples were taken, seeing as he was a prime male specimen. At the time, Vincent's cell samples were still usable. And due to one of the experiments they performed on him, he has the ability to bear children, the same way a woman can."

I looked to Vincent, and saw that he was nodding sadly. It seemed he knew. And then his eyes grew huge in guessing what came next, and seconds later, Cid's did as well. They both looked at each other in awe.

"So you are...?" Cid asked. I nodded. "In a experiment that they thought would be utterly amusing, they incubated the result of combining Vincent's female reproductive cells with Cid's. I was born from that, and was incubated via a machine, similar to the one used to incubate chicken eggs, except it mimicked the function of a uterus."

I paused for air, and not sure how to explain my experimentation. I glanced around. Everyone was looking from Cid, Sephiroth, and Vincent, to me. I nodded. Sephiroth looked to me.

"That doesn't explain the complete state of mutilation your body is currently in." He stated, though quietly.

He met my eyes with his piercing green, cat like eyes. I raised my hand, running my fingertips over the now pink mark where my cheek had been sliced open. Everyone looked to me for an answer. I hung my head slightly.

"No..." Breathed Vincent, understanding dawning in his eyes. I just barely inclined my head.

"Genetics messed with, senses boosted, abilities implanted. And these."

I unbuttoned my shirt, and pulled it off, completely bare chested. I was lean and wiry, but I had muscle definition. Everyone saw the extensive wounds on my revealed skin, and looked away. I couldn't blame them, it was a sorry sight. All scars and healing wounds. I shook my head and focused for a second, and...

"Ohh! Beautiful..." breathed Aeris.

The only experiment I actually liked, my beautiful- silver, gray, and black,- wings. Folded up behind me, the top joints were a food two feet above my head, and the bottom lead feathers were 3 inches above the ground. She stood, and came forward, and I let her touch the feathers, one long feather as wide across as her palm. She smiled.

"You are handsome." She smiled at me, her long braid swishing behind her. "See? You are like us. You're part of the family, and you have blood family."

My eyes widened. And I smiled at her, a real smile. The first real smile in 5 years. I folded in my wings, and after borrowing a knife, I cut two slits in my shirt, pulling my wings through and half buttoning it up. And almost unanimously, everyone stood, and gave me a hug.

First Aeris, Tseng, Zack and Cloud gave me hugs, and they turned to Sephiroth, Vincent, and Cid. Cid came forward first, pulling me to him, and holding me tightly. I buried my face into his warm shirt, and breathed in his warm, musky, and Cid like scent. Cigarettes, engines, and something distinctly male. I hugged him back, and then he pulled back, cupped my cheeks in his rough palms, pressed a kiss to my forehead for a couple seconds, his stubble on his chin tickling my forehead. My eyes widened, and teared up slightly, he had accepted me. He pulled back, and before he turned away quickly, I saw the tear falling down his cheek. I smiled, still flushed slightly from pleasure at his fatherly attention.

Vincent came forward, and he embraced me as well, and when he pulled back, he pressed something into my palm.

"It was the only thing I could find, the only thing that told me you were still alive."

I looked at the object in my palm. And my eyes grew huge.

"I was wondering where that went." I smiled up at him. "Thank you."

In my palm was a small, round, crystal like stone about the size of a walnut. Within the stone was a swirling mass of silvery liquid, and it looked a bit like a galaxy. It was my favorite method of communication with everyone, as I could project where I was to them through that stone by focusing what I wanted to say through it. Whoever I sent it to could hear it in their mind. It came in handy sometimes. I pressed the stone to my chest, just below my left collarbone, and it vanished into my chest, settling into its old place once again.

Vincent smiled, and walked back as Sephiroth came forward. He, like the others, embraced me closely, and then stepped back, and pulled something from his pocket. He shifted my hair over my shoulder, and fastened a necklace around my neck. I looked down at the pendant, and I raised an eyebrow. It was a stylized silver feather, swirling about a sword.

"I thought it appropriate. Welcome to the family brother." He patted my head, and walked away.

"Thank you." I whispered.

I clasped the necklace in a gloved hand and turned to everyone, smiling softly. We all gradually sat down around the fire again, just staring into the flames in companionable silence.

"Shall we have some music?" Asked Cid, grinning his usual confident and badass grin. Everyone stared in surprise, and then all gradually smiled, and said, "Sure!"

Cid stood up and walked away, waving me to come with him. I stood quickly and walked after him, curious as to what he was up to. He led me to his tent, and he disappeared inside and walked out a few seconds later, a guitar case over his shoulder.

"Do ya know anythin' good?" He asked, as we walked back. "I know a few things, from the radio they let me play in my chambers." I replied, jumping over a root as to not trip on it. He grinned.

We all sat around the fire, Cid tuning his guitar, Aeris and Zack humming to warm their voices up, and everyone chatting with someone or laughing happily. It seems music was really a good thing for everyone. Then Cid strummed his guitar, the strings finally in tune.

"Well, what'll we sing first?" He asked, lightly plucking a few chords absent mindedly.

"Follow me!" Said Zack, and Cid smiled. He began the beginning chords of the song, and I began to tap foot along with it, and Zack and Aeris managed to turn the song into a duet, which they finished fabulously. I clapped along with everyone else, while Zack made an over dramatized bow.

Cid sang a lovely solo, "Iris", originally by the Goo Goo dolls, and I smiled as he looked right at me as he sang the last chorus. It was almost as if he were singing it for me. And does he ever have a lovely voice. Such a lovely tenor, with a twist of bass and huskiness to it. After that was finished, to which he stood and bowed, and I applauded with everyone else. He turned to me.

"Do ya wanna sing?" He asked, having seated himself again. I thought, and hesitated, never having sang for a crowd before.

"You should." Sephiroth whispered, "I think you would do great."

I glanced at him, but didn't agree yet. Cid seemed to be holding his breath in hope. I decided that I couldn't resist.

"Do you know Hallelujah?" I asked quietly, with a collective gasp from everyone else. No one else, it seemed, expected me to do it. Cid smiled again, "Sure as hell do."

And he played the beginning chords. At my cue, I began. Sephiroth's eyes widened.

"I've heard there was a secret chord

That David played, and it pleased the Lord

But you don't really care for music, do you?

It goes like this

The fourth, the fifth

The minor fall, the major lift

The baffled king composing Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah."

I almost stopped playing from shock. He could SING. His voice carried effortlessly, and was a beautiful mix of bass and tenor, and had a texture like smoke. Slightly husky and smooth for a male, but perfect. Wow.

Your faith was strong but you needed proof

You saw her bathing on the roof

Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew you

She tied you to a kitchen chair

She broke your throne, and she cut your hair

And from your lips she drew the Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah

Maybe I have been here before

I know this room, I've walked this floor

I used to live alone before I knew you

I've seen your flag on the marble arch

Love is not a victory march

It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah

I watched him as he sang, and he gave me a signal that he wanted me to sing with him. I nodded, and at the next verse, I sang with him. He smiled slightly, pleased at being able to sing with his father.

There was a time you let me know

What's real and going on below

But now you never show it to me, do you?

And remember when I moved in you?

The holy dark was moving too

And every breath we drew was Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah

Maybe there's a god above

And all I ever learned from love

Was how to shoot at someone who outdrew you

And it's not a cry you can hear at night,

It's not somebody who's seen the light

It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah

We received the loudest round of applause of the night, with lots of hoots and hollers of approval. I stood and took a bow, as did Cid, and he walked off, slipping his guitar off as he did so. While he was putting that away, I watched people chat with each other, and eventually, they began yawning. Zack was the first. He stood, yawned, and stretched.

"Welp, I'm off to bed. See you guys tomorrow!"

He smiled, and walked off to his tent. Cloud and Tifa went next, Cloud dropping a hand on my shoulder. And pretty soon, it was just me and Sephiroth.

"Shall we go to sleep soon?" He asked, absentmindedly poking the fire with a stick.

"Yes. But ah...where am I sleeping?" I asked, looking to him out of the corner of my eye.

"With me, in my tent. It's large enough, and I certainly don't mind."I nodded. "All right. Thank you."

I stood with him, and, before he could, I cast a quick water spell on the fire, extinguishing it. He glanced at me, then turned and led the way to his tent. I laid down, exhausted, on the large pad he slept on, and threw the blanket he gave me over my hips. I had removed my shirt again, leaving me shirtless, and had my wings out and folded loosely behind me. I was facing Sephiroth, but we were a good foot and a half apart. He all of a sudden looked at me very intensely.

"What is your real name Storm?" I blinked, mildly surprised. Then I sighed, and said,

"Valen Saki-rya Storm Highwind-Valentine." He blinked, and raised his eyebrows, and said nothing for a while.

"Then why aren't you called Valen?" He asked. I shrugged.

"It sounds too formal to be called that everyday." He smiled, and cracked open an eye to look at me. "Good night Storm." I nodded and murmured, "Good night Sephiroth."

He curled up comfortably and fell asleep after a while, and I did as well. It was best nights sleep I've had in a while.

I woke up slowly, and realized that something had definitely changed over night. I was very warm, and there was someone cuddled up close to me, breath puffing gently on my chest. I cracked open an eye, and then both eyes flew open in shock at the sight. Sephiroth was cuddled into me, his face resting comfortably on his bent arm, nose brushing my chest. His other arm was flung over my hip with his hand on my wing. My arms were below his chin, hands brushing his upper arm. I sighed gently, and curled up some more. It was still early anyway, and I was comfortable.

I woke up again about 2 hours later, to Sephiroth making the smallest noise of confusion and embarrassment. Cracking an eye open, I watched him blush, then pause, and blink confusedly, obviously trying to figure out what on earth had happened. I opened my eyes fully, and sat up, making it a point to ignore how we had woken up. I stretched, and murmured,

"Morning Sephiroth." He murmured back a greeting, and sat up as well, seemingly glad I had ignored what had happened. I stood up, crouching, and scooted out of the tent, pulling my boots on as I went.

Cid turned at the noise of the tent opening, and as I stepped out into full sunlight and shook my hair out, his jaw dropped.

"Holy shit-!" I looked at him out of the corner of my eye, it just being barely cracked open. "Mm?" I asked, stretching and pulling my leather shirt back on, before facing him.

"Yer even more sexy than ya were last night."

I blushed slightly looking at my boots for a second.

"Thank you." I moved to him, and gazed at the fire for a moment. "Where is everyone?"

I asked, still staring at the fire.

"Still sleepin', or at the hot springs. We're leavin' in an hour." I nodded, and he tossed me a granola bar, which I caught and began to eat.

"Wanna help me pack this shit up?" He asked, beginning to wind up clothes lines, and pack away clothes. I nodded, and started tossing towels and clothes into laundry bags. By the time the everyone else was up and back from the springs, Cid and I had packed almost everything down and were loading it onto the Sierra, which was easy for me because I could carry almost 250% of my body weight.


End file.
